Graduation
by TwistedNightshade
Summary: It's their final day at Hogwarts, but Hermione carries a heavy burden on her sholders.


Disclaimer: Harry Potter, the band Chicago, and their song "Will You Still Love Me?" not mine. Though if it were in my power, I'd make Peter Cetera the lead singer (again). I did have to change a word in the song from 'man' to 'woman', since this is from Hermione's point of view. 

Everyday, I feel like I'm in a never-ending cycle.

On the outside, I act like my usual self: bragging about how many spells I know and what I've learned from all of my books, with my favorite one being 'Hogwarts, A History'. Yet no matter how many times I practice waving my wand in a certain way or how many books I read, there's one thing I can never seem to learn: how do I tell my best friend that I've fallen in love with him?

-Take me as I am/Put your hand in mine now and forever-

Ever since I met those two on that fateful day on the Hogwarts Express, I knew there was something different about Ron Weasely. It's no secret that I didn't like him at first: he seemed a bit rude and uncaring about getting in trouble or getting expelled. To think that I thought being forced to leave Hogwarts was worse than getting killed! But as I became better friends with them, I noticed how we changed. I was becoming more mature (and intelligent, I must add) everyday, whereas Ron and Harry were growing taller and quite handsome. I never really noticed much until our third year. I remember crying my eyes out when I thought Buckbeak had been exicuted, yet who did I turn to? Ron - not The Boy Who Lived, but Ron Weasely. I felt a strange yet comforting warmth pass through me as he held me, and as I cried, I couldn't help but wonder, 'Is this was love feels like?'

I finally realized what I was missing in our fourth year during the Yule Ball: as I nervously walked down those steps, I noticed out of the corner of my eye - though he denied it at the time - that Ron was staring at me. While his robes weren't as fancy as the other students', his eyes & his smile far surpassed the others. Even though Victor Krum was my date, as I was dancing with him, I felt empty. 'If only Ron were here,' I wondered while everyone else was 'Oooh'-ing and 'Ahhh'-ing at us.

But all of that is the past and nothing more. This is our final year at Hogwarts, and my last chance to finally tell the truth.

--Darling here I stand, stand before you now/Deep inside I always knew/It was you, you and me/Two hearts drawn together bound by destiny--

On our graduation day, all of the Gryfindors are in the common room; some are hugging each other with big smiles on their faces, yet others are already crying - they know that after this ceremony and the after graduation party, it will be all over. I casually walked downstairs and quickly started scanning the room: suddenly I spot Harry and Ron laughing about something or another. With a smile on my face and my heart pounding, I walk in their direction. Harry immediately smiles back and gives me a great big hug.

"Well, the day's finally come, hasn't it?" he said. "I guess all that studying finally paid off."

I nodded in response, but what Harry was saying didn't matter at the moment. I quickly focused my attention on Ron:

"Ron, there's something I've got to - "

"Hey! Could you show us that spell Fred and George showed ya?"

He quickly turned in the direction of the voice; he nodded and, dragging Harry along, left and completely ignored me. Needless to say, I was hurt: he didn't even give me a chance to speak! I went over there to try again, but I didn't get the chance. At that moment, an announcement was made for all seventh year students to come to the Great Hall.

My heart sank as each of us were summoned forward to hand out our diplomas. Sure I was happy that I was graduating, but I really wanted to tell Ron how I felt. In a few hours, it would be too late. Still, I wasn't ready to give up.

--It was you and you for me/Every road leads to your door/Every step I take forever more--

Just barely an hour later, every student was outside and enjoying the graduation party - everyone, except for me. I just stood there and drank a few glasses of punch; I didn't really feel like talking to anyone at the moment. I suddenly spotted Ron; he was sitting alone and staring at the sky. 'Get a hold of yourself', I repeated to myself as I walked over toward him. My heart was already pounding and I wasn't even there yet.

--Just say you love me for the rest of your life/I gotta lot of love and I don't want to let go/Will you still love me for the rest of my life?  
Cause I can't go on, no I can't go on I can't go on if I'm on my own--

Time felt like it had slowed down as I approached him; he was so entranced by the blue sky that I startled him once I tapped him on the sholder, making him jump nearly a foot into the air.

"Bloody hell, Hermione!" he cried. "Can't you gimme a warning or somethin'?"

"Honestly, Ron," I replied as I shook my head. "Who did you think I was: a spider in disguise?"

"Don't even talk about spiders!" Ron started to quiver in fear.

"I know, I know. You're still afraid of them. Still, I'm sorry for startling you like that."

I sat down next to him, still struggiling to come up with the right way to tell him how I felt; but the only thing I could say was, "Wow, what a lovely sky today."

'How can you be so stupid!' I thought. 'Now you've ruined everything!'

In order to 'fix things,' I sighed and mumbled something like, "But it's even better since you're here." That quickly got his attention.

--Take me as I am/Put your heart in mine, stay with me forever/Cause I am just a woman who never understood/I never had a thing to prove--

"W - Wait a sec," he said, startled. "What did you just say?"

"Me?" I replied. "Nothing, except how nice the sky is."

"Uh-uh." Ron moved a bit closer until he was a few inches away from me. "You mumbled somethin' and I'm not backing away until you tell me what it was you said."

My mouth opened to speak, but nothing came out. It was as if someone had put a Silence Charm on me. 'C'mon, Hermione!' I thought. 'Say something! Anything!' Finally, I was able to make some type of sound, but Ron just tilted his head in confusion. At the moment, I kept thinking about all those missed chances for me to say something: the memories of our years here were flooding back. Why didn't I notice these feelings sooner?

--Till there was you, you and me/Then it all came clear so suddenly/How close to you that I wanna be--

"...love you," I finally said.

"Wha - ?" Ron replied.

Looking into his eyes, I repeated myself: "I said I love you, Ron. It's taken me so many years to admit it to myself. Now I finally have the chance to tell you. If I didn't do it now, I knew I'd never have this chance again."

--Just say you love me for the rest of your life/I gotta lot of love and I don't want to let go/Will you still love me for the rest of my life?  
Cause I can't go on, no I can't go on I can't go on if I'm on my own--

Nothing was said - at least for few moments. Worry now started to rush over me: what if he thinks I'm stupid? What if this was a complete waste of my time?

--Do you believe a love could run so strong?  
Do you believe a love could pass you by?  
There was no special one for me I was the lonely one, you see/But then my heart lost all control/Now you're all that I know--

Suddenly, Ron took my hands in his and lovingly looked into my eyes.

"Ron?" I said aloud.

My question was answered right there: he pulled me closer to him and gently kissed me. My eyes began to fill with tears as I gladly kissed back. Despite some people whistling at us, I drowned it out as we pulled away and just looked at each other. For the first time today, Ron smiled at me; blushing, I smiled back.

"Next thing I know, you're going to propose to me," I joked.

"Actually, that's not such a bad idea," Ron replied. My eyes went wide in shock as I saw him fall to one knee. For a minute, he rummaged through his pockets until he finally pulled out a red velvet ring box. Before he could even ask me, I said yes.

--Just say you love me for the rest of your life/I gotta lot of love and I don't want to let go/Will you still love me for the rest of my life?  
Cause I can't go on, no I can't go on I can't go on if I'm on my own--

Needless to say, it was the best day I ever had at Hogwarts.


End file.
